PROGRAM: THE TAKÁCS QUARTET WITH APRIL 10 / 2:30 PM BING CONCERT HALL

ARTISTS PROGRAM The Takács Quartet : in E Minor, op. 59, no. 2, Razumovsky (1806) Edward Dusinberre, violin Allegro Károly Schranz, violin Molto adagio Geraldine Walther, viola Allegretto András Fejér, cello Finale – Presto

Garrick Ohlsson, piano Anton Webern: Langsamer Satz (1905)

INTERMISSION The Takács Quartet appears by arrangement with Seldy Cramer Artists and records for Hyperion and Decca/London Records. : in A Minor, op. 84 (1918–19) The Takács Quartet is quartet-in-residence at Moderato – Allegro the University of Colorado in Boulder, Adagio and its members are associate artists at Wigmore Hall in London (www.takacsquartet.com). Andante – Allegro Garrick Ohlsson, piano Mr. Ohlsson appears by arrangement with Opus 3 Artists (www.opus3artists.com).

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms, and unwrap all lozenges prior to the performance. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you.

24 STANFORD LIVE MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2016 SIR 021816 pac heights fp.pdf

PROGRAM: THE TAKÁCS QUARTET WITH GARRICK OHLSSON

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN The exhilarating finale is, as always, built from music. He had recently turned 60. He was not (1770–1827) fragments and clearly looks forward to the in good health and found himself appalled by STRING QUARTET IN E MINOR, OP. 59, finale of the Seventh Symphony. the carnage and mood of jingoism he found NO. 2, RAZUMOVSKY (1806) everywhere. London was not a good place to be. Ludwig van Beethoven’s three Opus 59 string ANTON WEBERN (1883–1945) quartets are dedicated to Count Razumovsky, LANGSAMER SATZ (1905) At Brinkwells, a thatched cottage, isolated the Russian ambassador to Vienna and one from towns and villages and surrounded by of the most prominent patrons of music One century the publication of woods, he began work on his first chamber in a city that prided itself as a center of Beethoven’s second Razumovsky, in 1905, music for 30 years. A fine culture. He played second violin well and was Austrian composer Anton Webern was head and a string quartet share the nostalgia of serious enough about his music-making to over heels in love with his cousin Wilhelmine the Piano Quintet that followed, but the ask Beethoven for theory lessons. By 1806, Mörtl, with whom he took a walking vacation nostalgia is filtered through a new harmonic PACIFIC HEIGHTS SONOMA COAST Beethoven’s music was rapidly evolving during to Lower Austria, just west of Vienna. The leanness and economy of means. The web: 0087588 | $4,975,000 web: 0087403 | $4,750,000 Coveted Location. 3bd/3ba Tudor-style home in secluded garden Modernist retreat on approx. 200 acres above Pacific coastline. a time of tremendous confidence, and the 21-year-old composer wrote effusive diary Piano Quintet is written on a large scale. setting. Bay-view pentroom with deck. CowHollowGardenHome.com Muscular design meets rugged elegance. SonomaCoastHouse.com change was reflected in the sketchbooks he entries about their idyllic time together. Its introduction is made up of austere, Janet Feinberg Schindler 415.265.5994 Wendy Storch and Peter Colbert 415.798.0203 carried when walking. Earlier, at the turn of the Webern composed the lushly romantic descending, plainchant-like piano chords century, he would rapidly jot down ideas of Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement) in Vienna together with murmurings on the strings. 100 measures or more. A few years later, his that summer, having almost completed Both ideas will recur many times—the piano jottings were more concerned with detail, with the first of four years of intensive private chords first in the more assertive fugal the careful refining of an idea to its essence. composition studies with Schoenberg. It was section of the Allegro proper and the string This was the case with the opening theme of one of well over 100 finished and sketched figures in the gentle second theme, heard the second Razumovsky. After a great number student compositions and exercises that in thirds on the violins over a rocking piano of reworkings, we can see how a once pleasant, he would complete during his time with accompaniment. A short, wistful string phrase symmetrical theme is chiseled into a dramatic, Schoenberg, most of it remaining unpublished. that follows the opening plainchant theme questioning statement. In it, Beethoven This single movement, published in 1965, with colors the proceedings with a feeling of discovers the power of silence. He goes on to a tripartite A-B-A structure plus coda, inhabits imminent tragedy. The noble slow movement the intense, nocturnal, emotionally charged develop the various elements of this opening is haunted by variants on the wistful string NOE VALLEY SEA CLIFF theme in a forward-driving, almost brusque landscape of his teacher’s Verklärte Nacht of phrase from the opening of the work, with web: 0087721 | $4,175,000 web: 0087556 | $3,195,000 manner that is argumentative, terse, and built six years earlier. Its polyphonic lines reveal a its accompanying rising cello phrase. The Fresh, modern home with lush garden. Airy livability, eco-smart. Architecturally significant mid-century. Floor-to-ceiling windows and 3 levels with 4bd/3.5ba and 3 plus car parking. FreshNoeModern.com doors, 3bd/3ba, GG-Bridge views from master, garden. 301ElCamino.com by means of contrast. The scale on which he close study of Brahms, while the intoxicating, same pleading fragment opens the finale and Wendy Storch 415.519.6091 Caroline Kahn Werboff 415.296.2210 writes has a symphonic breadth. This is music last-gasp, late-Romantic harmonies are a path echoes of earlier themes recur throughout that belongs in the public concert hall rather that Webern would soon leave behind. the movement, which gives the work a than the private salon. cyclical feel. The writing for both piano and strings is often brilliant, and the mood ranges By contrast, the slow movement takes us to EDWARD ELGAR (1857–1934) widely between the wistful and elegiac and a world where time stands still. Beethoven PIANO QUINTET IN A MINOR, OP. 84 the triumphant and eventually grandioso said that the idea for this movement came (1918–19) music, with which the finale concludes. as he gazed at the starlit sky. Certainly he —© 2016, Keith Horner had read Kant and liked Kant’s phrase about “It’s ghostly stuff,” English composer Edward the starry heavens above and the moral laws Elgar said of his 1919 Piano Quintet. His THE TAKÁCS QUARTET within. The major-key trio of the Allegretto score certainly does have its eerie moments: Recognized as one of the world’s great third movement gruffly puts a Russian folk shadowy themes that give a premonition of ensembles, the Takács Quartet plays with a tune through its paces, bordering at times on things to come, ghostly adumbrations that unique blend of drama, warmth, and humor, LOS GATOS TELEGRAPH HILL reveal a composer at the peak of his technical web: 0087727 | $2,875,000 web: 0087696 | $5,700 per month a parody of stuffy fugal writing. This theme, combining four distinct musical personalities California elegance, modern sophistication. Approx. 4,600 sq.ft. estate on Poolside 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo at 101 Lombard with deck, parking, included in response to Razumovsky’s request skill. The quintet is a child of its time, a time to bring fresh insights to the string quartet approx. 1.15 acre lot with 5bd/4.5ba, views, pool/spa. 400SantaRosa.com and doorman. Views of the Bay, Financial District and the inviting pool. Arthur Sharif 650.804.4770 Mary Laughlin Fenton 415.205.5218 for “some Russian melodies, real or imagined” of recent trench warfare and a generation repertoire. For 32 years, the ensemble killed on the battlefields of Europe. Elgar had in the quartets, is the same national melody has been in residence at the University of San Francisco Brokerage 117 Greenwich Street, San Francisco, CA 94111 . T: 415.901.1700 that Modest Mussorgsky would use in the turned in on himself, looking for an answer to Colorado, Boulder. Wine Country Brokerage 25 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476 . T: 707.935.2288 Visit onlywithus.com to discover the coronation scene of his opera Boris Godunov. a changed world in the medium of chamber JEFFREY G. GIBSON | Senior Vice President & Managing Broker | sothebyshomes.com/norcal benefits available through us alone. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. 26 STANFORD LIVE MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2016

EAP full-page template.indd 1 2/18/16 1:07 PM PROGRAM: THE TAKÁCS QUARTET WITH GARRICK OHLSSON

In 2015–16, the Takács returns to Carnegie explores the circumstances surrounding In 2006, the Takács Quartet made its first Hall for two programs, one featuring a the composition of Beethoven’s quartets. recording for Hyperion Records of Schubert’s new work by composer Timo Andres, D. 804 and D. 810. Subsequent recordings commissioned by Carnegie Hall, and The Takács became the first string quartet to for Hyperion include Brahms’ Piano Quintet one with pianist Garrick Ohlsson. The win the Wigmore Hall Medal in May 2014. with Stephen Hough (Grammy nomination), group also performs with Mr. Ohlsson at The medal, inaugurated in 2007, recognizes Brahms’ quartets Op. 51 and Op. 67, Stanford, the University of Richmond, major international artists who have a strong Schumann’s Piano Quintet with Marc-André Spivey Hall in Atlanta, and the University association with the hall. Recipients so far Hamelin, the complete Haydn Apponyi of Florida. For the first time in many years, include András Schiff, Thomas Quasthoff, Quartets, and the Schubert quintet D. 956 the Takács will perform in Santiago, Chile, Menahem Pressler, and Dame Felicity Lott. with . Three Britten quartets and Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2012, Gramophone announced that the were released in 2013, followed by the Brahms Takács was the only string quartet to be String Quintets for viola with Lawrence Power In addition to an annual Wigmore Hall inducted into its first Hall of Fame, along on viola and the Shostakovich Piano Quintet series in London, where the quartet with such legendary artists as Jascha Heifetz, with Mr. Hamelin. Upcoming Hyperion members are associate artists, other Leonard Bernstein, and Dame Janet Baker. recordings include the two Janáček String European engagements in 2015–16 include The ensemble also won the 2011 Award for Quartets and Smetana’s From My Life; the performances in Oslo, Amsterdam, and Song presented by the Debussy String Quartet and the Franck Piano Budapest, Hamburg, Hannover, Royal Philharmonic Society in London. Quintet, again with Mr. Hamelin; and the Brussels, and Bilbao and a concert at the Dvořák String Quartet, op. 105, and his Viola Schubertiade in Hohenems, Austria. The members of the Takács Quartet Quintet, op. 97, with Mr. Power on viola. are Christoffersen Faculty Fellows at the The Takács Quartet performed Philip University of Colorado, Boulder. The quartet The quartet has also made 16 recordings Roth’s Everyman program with Meryl has helped to develop a string program with a for the Decca label since 1988 of works Streep at the Royal Conservatory of Music special emphasis on chamber music, in which by Beethoven, Bartók, Borodin, Brahms, in Toronto in October 2015, a program students work in a nurturing environment Chausson, Dvořák, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, they previously played with Ms. Streep at designed to help them develop their artistry. and Smetana. The ensemble’s recording of Princeton University in 2014. The program The quartet’s commitment to teaching is the six Bartók String Quartets received the was conceived in close collaboration with enhanced by summer residencies at the 1998 Gramophone Award for chamber music Philip Roth and first performed at Carnegie Aspen Music Festival and at the Music and was nominated for a Grammy in 1999. Hall with Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2007. Academy of the West. The members of the The quartet is known for such innovative Takács are visiting fellows at the Guildhall The Takács Quartet was formed in 1975 at programming. They have toured 14 cities with School of Music and Drama in London. the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest by the poet Robert Pinsky, collaborate regularly Gábor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz, Gábor with the Hungarian folk group Muzsikas, and The quartet’s award-winning recordings Ormai, and András Fejér, while all four in 2010 they collaborated with the Colorado include the complete Beethoven string quartet were students. It first received international Shakespeare Festival and David Lawrence cycle on the Decca label. In 2005, the group’s attention in 1977, winning first prize and Morse on a drama project that explored the Beethoven: The Late String Quartets won the Critics’ Prize at the International String composition of Beethoven’s last quartets. Disc of the Year and the Chamber Award Quartet Competition in Evian, France. The from BBC Music magazine, a Gramophone quartet also won the Gold Medal at the 1978 During the 2016–17 season, the ensemble Award, Album of the Year at the Brit Awards, Portsmouth and Bordeaux Competitions will perform complete six-concert Beethoven and a Japanese Record Academy Award. Its and first prizes at the Budapest International quartet cycles at Wigmore Hall, Princeton recordings of the early and middle Beethoven String Quartet Competition in 1978 and the University, the University of Michigan, and quartets collected a Grammy, another Bratislava Competition in 1981. The quartet UC Berkeley. In advance of these cycles, Gramophone Award, a Chamber Music made its North American debut tour in 1982. Takács first violinist Edward Dusinberre’s of America Award, and two further awards book Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey from the Japanese Recording Academy. Of Violinist Edward Dusinberre joined the of a String Quartet was published by Faber its performances and recordings of the late quartet in 1993 and violist Roger Tapping in and Faber in January 2016. The book takes quartets, the Cleveland Plain Dealer claimed, 1995. Violist Geraldine Walther replaced Mr. the reader inside the life of a string quartet, “The Takács might play this repertoire better Tapping in 2005. In 2001, the Takács Quartet melding music history and memoir as it than any quartet of the past or present.” was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order

28 STANFORD LIVE MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2016 of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, and in Piano Competition in , and in April, Liszt. In recognition of the Chopin bicentenary March of 2011, each member of the quartet he will join the Takács Quartet for a brief East in 2010, Mr. Ohlsson was featured in the was awarded the Order of Merit Commander’s Coast tour culminating at Carnegie Hall. documentary The Art of Chopin, coproduced Cross by the president of Hungary. by Polish, French, British, and Chinese Mr. Ohlsson brought Busoni’s rarely television stations. Most recently, both Brahms programmed to the concerti and Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano National Symphony (Washington, DC) Concerto were released on live performance and London’s Barbican with the BBC recordings with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2014. Symphonies on their own recording labels, The centenary of the death of Scriabin in and Mr. Ohlsson was featured on Dvořák’s 2015 led to Mr. Ohlsson presenting the Piano Concerto in the Czech Philharmonic’s composer’s piano music in a series of recitals live recordings of the composer’s complete in London, San Francisco, Chicago, and New symphonies and concertos, released York. He also returned to the orchestras of in July of 2014 on the Decca label. San Francisco, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Minnesota, BBC Scotland, and A native of White Plains, New York, Mr. Prague, where he is a frequent guest. Ohlsson began his piano studies at the age GARRICK OHLSSON of eight at the Westchester Conservatory of Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 An avid chamber musician, Mr. Ohlsson has Music; at 13 he entered the in Chopin International Piano Competition, collaborated with the Cleveland, Emerson, . His musical development has pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established and Tokyo string quartets, among other been influenced in completely different ways himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial ensembles. Together with violinist Jorja by a succession of distinguished teachers, interpretive and technical prowess. Although Fleezanis and cellist Michael Grebanier, he most notably , Olga Barabini, long regarded as one of the world’s leading is a founding member of the San Francisco– Tom Lishman, Sascha Gorodnitzki, Rosina exponents of the music of Chopin, Mr. based Fog Trio. Passionate about singing Lhévinne, and Irma Wolpe. Although he won Ohlsson commands an enormous repertoire, and singers, Mr. Ohlsson has appeared in first prizes at the 1966 Busoni Competition which ranges over the entire piano literature. recital with such legendary artists as Magda in Italy and the 1968 Montréal Piano A student of the late Claudio Arrau, Mr. Olivero, Jessye Norman, and Ewa Podleś. Competition, it was his 1970 triumph at the Ohlsson has come to be noted for his masterly International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, performances of the works of Mozart, Mr. Ohlsson can be heard on the Arabesque, where he won the Gold Medal (and remains Beethoven, and Schubert as well as the RCA Victor Red Seal, Angel, BMG, Delos, the single American to have done so), that Romantic repertoire. To date, he has at his Hänssler, Nonesuch, Telarc, Hyperion, and brought him worldwide recognition as one command more than 80 concertos, ranging Virgin Classics labels. His 10-disc set of the of the finest pianists of his generation. Since from Haydn and Mozart to works of the complete Beethoven sonatas for Bridge then, he has made nearly a dozen tours of 21st century, many commissioned for him. Records has garnered critical acclaim, Poland, where he retains immense personal including a Grammy Award for Volume 3. His popularity. Mr. Ohlsson was awarded the The 2015–16 season includes recitals in recording of Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 Avery Fisher Prize in 1994 and received the Berkeley, New York, Indianapolis, Seattle, with the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Spano 1998 University Musical Society Distinguished La Jolla, Evanston, Fort Worth, Lincoln, and was released in 2011. In the fall of 2008, the Artist Award in Ann Arbor. He is also the Costa Mesa. In return visits to Australia, he will English label Hyperion rereleased his 16-disc 2014 recipient of the Jean Gimbel Lane Prize appear in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, set of the complete works of Chopin, followed in Piano Performance from Northwestern and Adelaide and for the first time with in 2010 by all the Brahms piano variations, University’s Bienen School of Music. He the New Zealand Symphony in Wellington Goyescas by Enrique Granados, and music makes his home in San Francisco.• and Auckland. With concerti as diverse as of Charles Tomlinson Griffes. Mr. Ohlsson’s Beethoven, Brahms, Barber, and Busoni, he most recent recordings on that label are can be heard with orchestras in Boston, Los Scriabin: Complete Poèmes and ètudes by Angeles, Ottawa, Nashville, Indianapolis, Debussy, Bartók, and Prokofiev. The latest Oregon, Warsaw, St. Petersburg, Manchester, CDs in his ongoing association with Bridge and Lugano. In the fall, he served as a judge Records are Close Connections, a recital of at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin 20th-century pieces, and two CDs of works by

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